Can You Hear Me
by Taeng
Summary: Samurai Sentai Shinkenger. AU. Bukkako. Two people from two different sides of life meet - the popular boy and the clumsy social outcast. Together they try to overcome people's perceptions of them, tearing down the barriers that separate them.
1. I: The Meet

**Hello and welcome to my newest Chiaki/Kotoha story. This has actually been sat on my laptop for the past year and half, but I never published it because I hated it. So, it's had a rewrite and I've now decided to publish it. This is my first proper AU story as well, with the characters in an everyday setting rather than their Shinkenger one.**

**With me publishing this, it doesn't mean that The Roar of Time is going on hiatus. I'm at a point with it where it wants to be written but at the same time it doesn't and that means - I'm working on fight scenes at the moment. Also, there is another Super Sentai story in the works but that's only going to be published once The Roar of Time (or this story, whichever is completed first) is finished.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Samurai Sentai Shinkenger, Super Sentai or the characters in this story. They belong to Toei.**

* * *

_**Can You Hear Me**_

_**(Bukkako)**_

_We come into this world unknown_

_But know that we are not alone_

_They try and knock us down_

_A change is coming_

_- _Kelly Clarkson_ (People Like Us)_

S-S

_If I known back then that that first encounter would change my life, I would have laughed it off. I would have told you that there was no possible way that we could have had the impact, the influence that we did. We were two different people on two different sides of society, but yet we were the same. We were the only ones able to see each other through the darkness that surrounded us._

_I wouldn't have been able to tell you that she was the one that saved me. Back then, I wasn't me. I was merely a shadow of my former self. But she helped me. She saved me. We saved each other. But she was the one that made me realise what it was to be me. If it hadn't been for her, I wouldn't be the person that I am now. The real me. I owe a lot to her._

_I just hope she knows it._

_**Act I**_

Tani Chiaki let out a groan as he looked up at the signpost for the crossroads he was standing at. He was dressed in his school uniform which consisted of beige trousers, a white shirt, the sleeves of which were rolled up past his elbows, blue tie and a beige jacket, which was thrown over one shoulder with the strap of his black bag over it. It was the first day of term and he no idea where his school was. Well, he did since his father had shown him countless times over the holiday the way from their new house, but he had forgotten. Not, that he had been paying much attention in the first place.

The bright sun was reflecting off of the plastic, making it almost impossible for Chiaki to read what the signs said even when he shielded his eyes from the harsh light. He looked down at his watch and let out another groan. He was no running late for school. He scratched his head in frustration, messing up his sandy-brown coloured hair. There was no one around. No cars or buses, no people. Nothing.

"This is stupid," he muttered to himself, knowing that he must look like a complete idiot seeing as he had been standing in the same place, staring at the signpost for almost five minutes. "Why couldn't it point me in the right direction," he moaned. In his frustration, he kicked the post, instantly regretting his decision to do so as a searing pain shot through his foot and he hopped on the spot, clutching his injured foot, willing for the pain to disappear. _Idiot!_ He chastised himself at his stupidity. He was going to be even more late now.

As he hopped on the spot, Chiaki didn't notice a girl walking behind him and as he lost his balance, hopping backwards, he collided with the girl, causing both of them to stumble and fall to the ground. Another pain shot through his body as his palm scrapped along the pavement and he closed his eyes from the sudden shock.

"Oww."

Chiaki instantly opened his eyes, surprised to hear another voice. Lying on her back opposite him, was a girl who appeared to be the same age as him, but he couldn't see her face since her black hair was covering it. Chiaki's brown eyes instantly widened as he scrambled to his feet. "Are you alright?" He held out a hand to the girl.

The girl let out a soft gasp of surprise. She looked up, her eyes growing wide. "Y-yeah," she muttered. She paused. The boy was wearing a concerned look, holding out his hand for her. She bit her lower lip, unsure as to whether or not she should take it, but then her own hand reached out for his and her breath caught in her throat as she felt the warmth of his fingers wrap around her own before he carefully pulled her up.

"I'm so sorry," the boy apologised with an inclination of his head.

She shook her head. "No. I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." She bowed to him in return. It had been her fault after all. She hadn't been watching where she was going. If she had, then she wouldn't have walked into him. It was her fault.

Chiaki lifted his head. The girl was short, barely coming up to his shoulder and she had jet black hair that fell a few inches below her shoulders. He still couldn't see her face since she was looking down at the pavement in apology. "No, it was my fault," he said again with a smile. He tilted his head to one side, trying to get a better look at her.

The girl lifted her head, looking at him. She shook her head once more. "No," she began, but Chiaki cut her off.

"If I hadn't got so annoyed then I wouldn't have bumped into you." His foot still throbbed from the impact with the metal post, but it was a dull pain now.

"Why were you annoyed?" The girl gave him a quizzical look.

Chiaki stared for a moment. The girl standing before him was quite pretty. Though she was short, she had soft almond-shaped eyes with sparkling brown pupils. She gave him a small smile which he returned. "I, uh…" he pointed up at the signpost. "I'm a bit lost," he admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

The girl's smile widened. "Where are you going?"

"Oh, Moroboshi High School."

The girl nodded. "Ah." Her smile widened as she gestured to herself, showing him that she too was dressed in a school uniform, hers consisting of a matching beige jacket and pleated skirt, with a white underskirt, that fell halfway down her thigh, with a white shirt and red tie, with black knee-high socks and black laced-up shoes. "I go there too. Maybe we could walk together?" Though she kept a smile on her face, she looked away almost nervously.

Chiaki smiled at the girl. She seemed nice, really nice and he was glad to have run into her. He thought it sounded like a good idea for them to walk together. "Yeah, ok–" he began but was cut off when he heard the sound of someone calling his name behind him. He turned around to see two males, both with brown hair, and dressed in the same uniform as himself, waving furiously at him from further down the road.

The girl's smile instantly faded and she began to shy away from him as she quickly set about rearranging her hair so that it was covering her face. Her eyes filled with fear.

Chiaki stumbled slightly as he felt the girl tug herself out of his grip, making him realise that he had still been holding onto her. As soon as she was free, she rushed past him, her head lowered as she walked past his friends who had been walking towards the pair. He was about to call after her, realising that he didn't know her name, but the arrival of his two friends stopped him, the taller of the two jumping on him.

"Oi, Chiaki, what are you doing?" the boy who had jumped on him asked, a wide smile on his face, while the other boy laughed at the sight.

"Get off me, Ryunosuke," Chiaki groaned, trying to push the taller boy off of him.

The other male nodded his head once and Ryunosuke slid off of Chiaki. "Who was that girl you were talking to?" he asked, curious, peering around the two to get a look at the girl, but she had disappeared from sight.

Straightening himself out, Chiaki shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," he replied, following his gaze and felt a pang at the girl's sudden departure. "We just bumped into each other."

"Oi, Takeru, you don't think it was Bukkako, do you?" Ryunosuke asked the other male in a hushed tone.

Takeru smacked Ryunosuke across the back of his head, giving him a chastising look. "What, the clumsiest girl at school?" He let out a snort. "I doubt it. She'd have to be completely stupid to even think about approaching Chiaki." He paused suddenly, looking thoughtful. "But then again…" he turned to face Chiaki and let out a mocking gasp. "Maybe it was and she's put a spell on you to make you as clumsy as her." He took a step away as afraid he could contract something from the shorter boy. "You did say she bumped into you."

Chiaki rolled his eyes. He was used to their mocking and joking. "That's stupid," he replied, pushing Takeru lightly. "And anyway, _I_ bumped into her."

Ryunosuke shrugged his shoulders. "Same difference."

Chiaki shook his head at the two. He knew how they felt about people like Bukkako, whoever she was. They were beneath them and were treated as such. But he didn't care about statuses or anything like that. All that mattered to him was what the person was like on the inside and he was positive that both the girl he had met, and whoever Bukkako was, were genuinely nice people and he hoped that he'd have a chance to see the girl again. "Come on," he said, walking past them in the direction the girl had taken, "we're going to be late for school."

"So, what was her name?" Takeru asked, walking next to Chiaki with Ryunosuke on his other side.

Adjusting the strap of his bag on his shoulder, he sighed. "I don't know. You two scared her off before I had a chance to ask and I didn't recognise her."

S-S

The three boys arrived at Moroboshi High School, a three-storey cream and tan building, walking into their new classroom, 2A, which was located on the second floor, with just over five minutes left before the school day began. The room was a bustle with activity, with the students catching up with their classmates about what they had been up to over the holidays.

"Phew." Ryunosuke wiped sweat off of his forehead. "Made it."

Takeru nodded. "Yeah and teach isn't even here yet."

Upon hearing their two voices, all activity in the room ceased for a brief moment before there was an up cry of excitement and the trio were instantly surrounded by their classmates, eager to find out what the three most popular boys in their year had been up to. The three boys were bombarded with questions, their classmates shouting over each other.

Even though he was used to the attention, Chiaki also resented it. He didn't like being singled out like he was. People always expected him to be the best at everything because of his popularity. Both the students and teachers loved him but he hated it. It wasn't him. If he hadn't become friends with Takeru and Ryunosuke three years ago, then he would have been the same quiet person he had been back then, someone who studied hard and was good at sports and music. But when he had met them, the most popular people at the school, his whole life had changed. He had had to change and become the joker that people now knew him as, all to fit in with Takeru and Ryunosuke's ways.

With a sigh, he ducked out of the huddle, leaving Takeru and Ryunosuke. He looked around the classroom and was surprised to see that there was someone in the room who hadn't eagerly joined the mass of students at the front. She was standing at the back of the classroom, near the other door, holding onto the strap of her bag which was loose by her side, her posture limp. Chiaki tilted his head. Her long hair was covering her face and he wondered if she was the girl he had met earlier. He watched as she approached the nearest desk. She appeared to look at something before moving on to the next, stopping and looking at it before moving on. She continued to do this and Chiaki frowned, wondering what she was looking at, or looking for. He looked down at the nearest desk, noticing the small piece of paper with a name inscribed on it. "Umemori Genta," he muttered. He looked at the next desk. "Shiraishi Mako." All of the desks appeared to have the slips of paper and then it dawned on him: they already had their seating arrangements.

With another sigh, Chiaki readjusted his bag strap and walked down the row, scanning the desks in search of his name. He eventually found it near the back next to the windows that overlooked the sensory garden below. He smiled. _Perfect_.

After placing his bag on the back of his chair, he walked back down to the front of the classroom where the mass of students were still gathered. He shook his head, seeing that Takeru and Ryunosuke were lapping up the attention. "Oi!" he shouted across to them. "We've already been given our seats."

Instantly Takeru's face fell and Chiaki couldn't help but laugh at the expression. "I was hoping we'd be able to pick our seats like last year," he moaned.

Still chuckling to himself, Chiaki shrugged his shoulders. He turned, seeing that the girl who had been at the back of the class was now sat down at a desk right at the front. He didn't know why, but Chiaki felt slightly crestfallen, since he had hoped that they'd be sat near each other. He quickly shook himself off. What was he thinking? He had no idea who she was and anyway, she probably wasn't even the same girl he had met earlier.

The door at the front of the room slid open and a short tubby man with a round, stearn face and short, almost bald, hair appeared. "Good morning class," he said loudly, since most of the students hadn't noticed his presence, but as soon as they did, they quickly rushed to find their seats, standing behind them. Looking round, Chiaki noted that Takeru was in the same row as him but at the front of the class, while Ryunosuke was near the middle of the classroom. It seemed that everyone apart from two people at the front, Umemori Genta and Shiraishi Mako, were in class.

"I am Hikoma-Sensei," their teacher introduced, standing behind the wooden desk in front of a dusty blackboard. "I'll be your Homeroom teacher."

"Rise. Sit. Bow." The class representative, a girl with short dark hair, who was sat near Ryunosuke called out.

"Good morning, Sensei," the class responded in unison, bowing at their teacher before sitting down at their desks.

"Yes, yes. Good morning," their teacher replied, nodding. "Welcome to a new year." He paused and looked down at something on his desk before looking back up. "Why don't we start by introducing ourselves to each other?" The class let out a groan, but Hikoma ignored it. "Let's start at the back of the class and work our way around."

The student at the back of the class stood up, introducing themselves. It wasn't until they were at the front of the second row did Chiaki pay any real attention as the girl who had been on her own stood up. She moved in one fluid motion, but as she turned, she stumbled slightly, going into her desk. The class sniggered loudly and Chiaki heard mutterings of 'Bukkako'. He frowned as the girl turned crimson red with embarrassment.

Her face lowered, she quietly introduced herself, "I'm Hanaori Kotoha. It's nice to meet you." She bowed quickly to them and her brown eyes flickered up, resting on Chiaki for the briefest of moments before she turned sitting back down, but as she did so, she knocked her bag off of her chair and it landed on the floor with a dull thud. Chiaki frowned again as the sniggering and mutterings could be heard once more.

_Hanaori Kotoha_, Chiaki thought to himself as he watched the girl. From the sound of her voice, he was more than positive that she was the girl he had met earlier. He was so lost in his thoughts about the girl that he didn't realise that the introductions had reached him until the person behind him poked him in the back. Startled, he quickly leapt to his feet, the rest of the class laughing, but not in the same way as they had been laughing at Kotoha. "I'm Tani Chiaki," he quickly said, introducing himself and, in keeping up with his pretence as a joker, saluted them before bowing and sitting back down while the rest of the class laughed at his antics, but deep inside, Chiaki resented them for it. As he sat back down, he noticed that Kotoha was the only one not looking in his direction. Instead, she was staring at her desk, her hair covering her face and Chiaki let out a heavy sigh as he looked out at the garden below.

When class was dismissed for lunch, there was a bustle of activity as the class pushed their desks towards Chiaki's. Takeru and Ryunosuke had already come over and were discussing how boring classes had been so far, as their classmates listened intently, hanging on to their every word. Chiaki looked over the sea of heads, noticing that Kotoha was sat on her own, her small lunch on the desk in front of her. Excusing himself, he made his way through the milling students and walked over to her.

"Hi." He bent down to talk to her. "I'm Tani Chiaki. We met earlier."

The girl didn't turn her head, instead her eyes remained fixed on her lunch. "You shouldn't be talking to me," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Chiaki looked at her confused. "What do you mean?"

She still didn't turn her head. "Didn't you hear them? I'm Bukkako."

Chiaki frowned, still confused. He didn't understand. "And?"

She turned her head quickly, her eyes meeting his for a brief moment before they flickered, resting on the edge of her desk. "I'm _Bukkako_," she emphasised. "No one is friends with me. _You_ shouldn't be seen talking to me."

"Why not? I don't care about any of that." He couldn't understand what her problem was. Why was it so wrong for him to talk to her? "I just thought we could be friends."

Her head jerked slightly and he thought that she was going to look at him, but she didn't. "We can't." Her blunt answer surprised him. She turned and quickly packed her lunch back into her bag before standing up.

He followed her movement. "Wait."

She paused, almost debating whether or not to turn around and let him be her friend, but she couldn't do it. She knew what would happen and she wouldn't let that happen, not again. She knew what people like him were like and she wasn't going to risk it, not again. She wasn't going to let herself be hurt. She shook her head and without another word, she slung her bag over her shoulder and left the room, wincing as she hit her shoulder on the door frame and tried hard not to run as she heard the laughter of the class behind her.

Chiaki stared at the open door. He was deeply confused. He couldn't understand her. She had seemed so friendly and open when he had met that morning, but now she was closed and distant. Hearing the laughter that had followed her out of the classroom, he felt a pang of anger at his fellow classmates. He was going to be her friend and prove to them that she wasn't who they all thought she was and he didn't care what any of them would think.

He was determined.


	2. II: The Choice

_Do you believe in fate?_

_A momentary encounter,_

_That changes everything in your life_

- Ayumi Hamasaki _(Fated)_

_**Act II**_

"Oi, Chiaki." The sound of Ryunosuke's voice brought the boy out of his thoughts and he turned round to see his tall friend looking at him with a frown, arms folded against his chest. Past him, Chiaki could see that Takeru was still amongst the throng of students. "Why were you talking to Bukkako?" He pointedly looked at the door Kotoha had exited through.

Chiaki frowned in response. She wasn't Bukkako. She was Kotoha. "Why shouldn't I?" He didn't understand what everyone's problem was. She was just a bit clumsy, that was all. Heck, even he had a habit of dropping things occasionally, though his main problem was saying things when he shouldn't, but that didn't make him a bad person, so why was she mocked for it? He just didn't understand.

Ryunosuke sighed and looked at him with an expression that made Chiaki think that he was explaining something simple to a child. "She's _Bukkako_," he reminded him, his tone patronising. "I'm just looking out for you. Everyone says that whenever she is with someone they become just as clumsy as her. Do you really want to be that clumsy?"

Chiaki shook his head in disbelief. "That's a stupid rumour." He really couldn't believe the words coming out of Ryunosuke's mouth. He wasn't the type of person to believe in rumours, so why was he listening to the ones about Kotoha? It didn't make sense to him. He would have voiced this, but he was too frustrated with his friend's attitude, so, still shaking his head, he left Ryunosuke to stand in the middle of the classroom by himself and walked back over to his desk, sitting down and spent the rest of the lunch hour staring out of the window at the sensory garden, losing himself in his thoughts until the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch.

With a heavy sigh, Chiaki focused his attentions back towards his teacher, listening to what was being said about Algebra, furiously scribbling down the problems from the board once the teacher had informed that what they were working on would be the basis for their homework. He hated maths, it was too confusing and complicated and it made the afternoon drag. Chiaki soon found himself losing his concentration and his eyes drifted over to where Kotoha was sat.

He found it strange that, even though she was well known by her nickname, he had never heard of her as Kotoha or even Bukkako before. How had he missed her? He wondered who she was, what she was like (though he already had a good idea, she was nice and polite yet stubborn) and why people thought she was clumsy and what she thought about it all.

As he watched her, Kotoha kept her head either lowered as she wrote down the equations from the board, or her attention was fixed on the teacher. He noticed that she never once did anything that would warrant her being labelled as clumsy. He shook his head. It just didn't make sense to him. But, he just found himself oddly fascinated with her. It felt as if there was something drawing him to her.

The bell rang, signalling the end of the day and Chiaki jumped in surprise. It took him a moment to realise that it was the end of the school day and he quickly set about stuffing his belongings into his bag, hoping to talk to Kotoha before she left. He stood up, picking up his blazer and backpack, but before he had a chance to leave his desk and approach Kotoha, Ryunosuke and Takeru had made a beeline for him, stopping him from moving. The two taller boys shared a knowing look and simultaneously grabbed Chiaki's arms, pulling him into the throng of students leaving the classroom. They exited through the door at the back of the room and Chiaki craned his neck, desperately trying to see if Kotoha was still there, but he couldn't see above the heads of the other students. He felt a heavy weight of disappointment on his heart.

Once the three males were out in the courtyard, Chiaki pushed the other two away from him, a disgruntled expression on his face as he faced them. He wasn't impressed with his friends' behaviour. "What was that for?" he asked, referring to the way he had been frogmarched out of the building.

"You can't be seen talking to Bukkako," Takeru replied, as if stating the obvious.

"She has a name," Chiaki reminded him, his frustration growing once more since everyone seemed incapable of referring to Kotoha by her name.

Takeru shrugged his shoulders. "Whatever. You just can't be seen talking to her."

Chiaki rolled his eyes. _Not this again_, he thought.

Ryunosuke nodded his head in agreement with Takeru. "It's bad for your reputation, you know," he said.

_Of course, my reputation_. He sighed inwardly. "What has that got to do with anything?"

Ryunosuke threw him a chastised look of horror. "Dude, we're the most popular guys in our year, hell, maybe even the whole school. If you're seen talking to someone like Bukakko, an outsider and complete loaner, then it'll ruin your reputation. You won't be popular if people see you associating with her and because we're your friends, it'll look bad on us."

Chiaki shook his head. He really couldn't believe what he was hearing. He just couldn't believe or understand what his two best friends were saying to him. He didn't care about his reputation, in fact he hated it, but he knew it meant a lot to Takeru and Ryunosuke who took pride in being part of the most popular students in the school. But he didn't care. He didn't see why he couldn't be friends with Kotoha. He could feel his anger rising, his frustration. "So really this is about how it would reflect on you guys."

Takeru and Ryunosuke looked at each other in surprise. They had never heard Chiaki snap at them before. He was usually the most outgoing of the trio, very rarely did he get angry and they were surprised at how sensitive he was in regards to their subject of discussion.

"That's not fair," Takeru replied with a shake of his head.

"That's not the point," Ryunosuke added, indignantly. "You're an idiot if you think that being friends with someone like her wouldn't have an impact on your status. People look up to you, they idolise you. You become friends with her and your throwing everything you've worked so hard for away."

Chiaki let out a scoff. "Do you think I care about any of that?"

Takeru shook his head, remaining silent. He could sense that things were going to turn nasty between his two friends. They were always arguing, but it rarely got to this stage. He didn't like seeing them like this. "I think we should calm down," he said, trying to defuse the hostile atmosphere that was quickly building around them. "We're just worried that you'll do something you'll regret," he added, speaking to Chiaki.

"Yeah and why do you want to be friends with her anyway?" Ryunosuke asked with an inquiring look, though he was feeling annoyed with his friend as well. "Do you like her?"

Chiaki stared. "What?" He balled his hands into fists and Takeru let out a groan.

"You were staring at her through most of Algebra,"

Instead of replying, Chiaki froze in surprise. Had he really been that noticeable? Not that it mattered, he just wanted to be her friend, she seemed nice and he hated the fact that she appeared lonely. He had had enough. "She just seems like a nice person, what's wrong with that?" He shook his head. He didn't want to talk about it with them anymore. They had made their opinions on the matter very clear and he didn't want to hear anymore from them. "I'll see you guys later," he added with a disheartened wave as he began to walk away from them.

"Oi!" Ryunosuke yelled, watching him leave.

Chiaki paused from the briefest moments. He hated walking away from an argument, but he had had enough of their attitude and, with a shake of his head, readjusted his bag on his shoulder and continued to walk away, disappearing into the sea of students.

Walking home, the warm sun beaming down on him, he let the reminisce of the day cast over him. He couldn't get Takeru and Ryunosuke's words out of his mind. What they had told him made no sense whatsoever. How Kotoha's clumsiness have an effect on him? But what made him really angry was the fact that they appeared to believe the stupid rumours about her. It just didn't make sense to him that would believe them. He shook his head. He really didn't want to think about anymore. Instead, he let his thoughts cast over to Kotoha. She seemed like a nice person yet she shied away from people. He wondered why and why she had gained the nickname and reputation that she had. What could she have possibly done? Some people were more clumsy then others, the same way some people were more brave or more funny, but for it to warrant such a reputation…

His feet automatically stopped and he looked up, realising that he was back at the crossroads where he had bumped into her. He sighed. It wasn't right. She was too nice to have a reputation like she had. He suddenly remembered the way she had smiled at him, the way her whole face had lit up and he sighed again. She didn't deserve it. She shouldn't be lonely and isolated like she was. It wasn't fair.

His feet started walking once more, leading him in the direction of his home, loosing himself in his thoughts. This wasn't how he had expected the first day back to turn out. It wasn't often that he fell out with his friends, in fact, it was rare. But there was something different this time. They had just infuriated him so much. He glanced up at the clear blue sky and sighed deeply. He hoped that they would eventually get over whatever grudge it was that they held against Kotoha because he wasn't going to be put off.

S-S

Hanaori Kotoha sighed as she slowly walked home, feeling as if she had a heavy weight of disappointment on her heart. She should have known better. Nothing had changed. She was still seen as the clumsy idiot, her nickname, Bukkako, still sticking. She had desperately hoped that things would have changed over the holidays, that people would have forgotten, but no, their memories had remained intact and the name-calling and sniggering continued. Nothing had changed, except…

Her mind wandered, thinking of the boy, Tani Chiaki, if she remembered correctly. There was something about him that she hadn't seen in a long time. He treated her differently, wanting to be her friend rather than tease and laugh at her. Her mind lingered on the moment when they had bumped into each other, it had been clear then that he had had no idea who she was, though she knew exactly who he was – one of the most popular boys in school.

She let out another sigh. There was no way that she could be friends with him. No way. She didn't have any friends and there was a reason for that – they would eventually desert her and leave her to the wolves, to suffer alone. It had happened countless times. She would have a friend (or friends if she was lucky) and things would be fine until they eventually got tired of being laughed at for being friends with Bukkako. They would leave her and join the pack. She knew that that would happen again no matter what he said. He eventually leave her like everyone else.

Bukkako… She had had that nickname for so long that she'd forgotten what had exactly happened for them to refer to her as such, but she knew why it stuck. That much was clear. She was clumsy, always dropping things, bumping into things, but she had always been like that. She unconsciously shrugged her shoulders. She couldn't help it. That's how she was.

Her eyes rested on the small wooden house she shared with her sister which lay up head, situated along a path with towering trees on either side. Her sister… Her sister was so much better than her, so much prettier and popular, smart, tall and brilliant at cooking. Compared to her, she was nothing other than a wallflower next to a blooming rose.

Adjusting her back on her shoulder, she started up the path. She had to try and persuade Mitsuba that school had gone well, that she had made friends, that things were going to change. But she wasn't a good liar. She could keep things hidden, she had done since she was very young, but she couldn't lie, especially not to her sister.

"Onee-chan, I'm home!" she called into the house as she opened the door and stepped inside before removing her shoes.

"I'm in the kitchen!" Mitsuba called, her voice echoing from the back of the house where the kitchen was.

With a smile, Kotoha placed her coat and bag on the hook next to the door and walked through the small house. Mitsuba loved cooking and was always experimenting with different types of food and flavours. Most of her sister's experiments turned out really well, but some… She shook her head to prevent a disgusting food memory from materialising.

As she approached the kitchen, Mitsuba appeared, learning backwards so that she could see her little sister through the archway. She smiled. "How was school?"

Kotoha gave a small smile. "Fine."

Mitsuba's smile faltered slightly. Placing a hand on her hip, she turned to face her sister. "Are you sure?"

Kotoha looked at her older sister and a flicker of a smile appeared on her face as she nodded. _The less she knew the better,_ she thought. "Of course."

Mitsuba didn't look convinced. "No bullying or name-calling?"

She shook her head. "A little, but it's nothing." She felt as if that was a safest thing to say since they both knew that the bullying and name-calling wouldn't have instantly disappeared and anyway, she had had a lot worse than today. She saw that her sister was about to say something, but she spoke before she had the chance. "It's fine. Just a couple of people called me Bukkako, nothing I haven't dealt with before. I'm fine, honestly."

Mitsuba still didn't look overly convinced but she knew how stubborn her little sister was, so, with a sigh and small frown, she nodded before turning back to the pan on the hob, stirring the noodles inside. "I'm making chicken and noodles for dinner, is that alright?"

Kotoha nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. Her sister was sticking with normal food for a change rather than experimenting. "Okay. I'm going to make a start on my homework." She pointed her thumb behind her.

"Mmhm." Mitsuba nodded. "They gave you homework on the first day?"

Kotoha let out a laugh. "Yeah."

Mitsuba returned the smile and the younger Hanaori sister exited the kitchen, walking back through the house to get her bag from the hook by door before retreating upstairs to her bedroom.

Sitting at her small, wooden desk, Kotoha took out her books, placing them in front of her before reaching across and picking up a framed photograph next to one of her and Mitsuba. She let out a heavy, sad sigh as she looked at the picture. Two smiling adults were gazing back at her, sitting on the veranda of the house she currently resided in. Her fingers reached out, gently outlining the faces of the adults and she felt her eyes brim with tears.

"Has it really been seven years?" she whispered softly to the picture, thinking about how much her life had changed since then.

The people in the picture didn't reply, instead they continued to smile back and she let out a breath. Of course she hadn't been expecting them to reply, but that didn't stop her from half thinking that they'd answer all of her questions, asked and unasked and despite the warmth, her body involuntarily let out a shiver, chilling her to her core at the memory of the people in the photograph.

She placed the picture back. Even after all this time, she still missed them, but at least she had Mitsuba. At least she had that piece of them. But as her eyes rested on the picture once more, she realised that she still felt as alone as ever. She may have Mitsuba, but that was it.

As this realisation came into her mind, she found thoughts of Chiaki re-entering her head. He had seemed genuine, from the first moment they had met, he had seemed like a nice and kind person and even after he knew who she was, he had still wanted to be her friend, to know her. She pursed her lips, staring out of the window opposite her, looking at the thick green leaves of the towering trees, as the sky began to turn a golden-orange shade as the sun began to set. Should she take the risk and let him in? Before, the others, they hadn't really known her nickname, what she was like and once they had found out, they had abandoned her like an unwanted pet, but Chiaki… he knew the truth yet still wanted to be friends.

"What should I do?" she mumbled out loud to herself.

She wanted to try. She wanted to have friends, she hated being alone. She was used to it. The loneliness and constant abandonment had made her stronger, she could cope with whatever was thrown at her, but there times when she would realise that everybody around her has someone to talk to, to laugh and have fun with and she knew that she wanted the same. She had Mitsuba, but it wasn't the same. Mitsuba was a lot older than her. She had no one her own age to talk to. She was all alone.

She let out a sigh, blowing a strand of hair out of her face as she rested her chin in the palm of hand, propping it up on the desk. She didn't know if she should take the risk though. People had betrayed her too many times. She had put her trust and faith in them and they had let her down. Time and time again she had been left and she honestly didn't know if she could do it again. Could she really put her faith and trust in someone again?

But she wanted to. She didn't know why but there was just something about him. He had a status yet he still wanted to know someone as low and pathetic as her. _His status… Of course, _she reminded herself, _he's one of the most popular boys in school_. She shook her head. No. She couldn't do it. She was willing to suffer being alone, but she couldn't, wouldn't, do that to him. She wouldn't do that to anyone. No one should have to suffer the way she had. She wasn't willing to put him, or anyone, through what she had.

With another sigh, she ran the fingers of her free hand through her hair. It was settled. No matter what, she wouldn't allow herself to be friends with him. She was going to suffer alone no matter he said. She couldn't do that him.

"I'm sorry."


	3. III: The Reach

_So what if it hurts me,_

_So what if I break down,_

_So what if this world just throws me off the edge,_

_My feet run out of ground_

- Leona Lewis _(Happy)_

_**Act III**_

Standing at the crossroads, Chiaki paced nervously. It was early in the morning and there was a chill in the air as the sun slowly warmed up the earth. He had no idea what had possessed him to be up early and ready for school, which had resulted in him standing at the crossroads for the past ten minutes, looking around every now and then earnestly. Actually, that was a lie. He knew exactly why he was where he was at the hour he was. Hanaori Kotoha. He had decided that if he was up early enough, then he would be able to run into her again and walk to school together without the interference of his friends.

His friends…

They had both been on the telephone to him the previous night, both to apologise for what had been said, but also to continue to deter him in his mission to become Kotoha's friend. They just couldn't understand why and, to be honest, neither did he. But, still, there was something that was drawing him to her. It was if she was alone, lost in a sea of misery and he was the only one that could pull her out. The only one who could save her.

A cold breeze made him shiver and he held his jacket closer to his body. Seriously, what was he thinking? He shook himself off. _No,_ he told himself, there was a reason why he was doing this. It was the only way he could talk to her without the looming presence of his friends.

He paced backwards and forwards, restless, checking his watch, watching the hands slowly tick by. He sighed and looked up at the sky. The sun had fully risen, casting its warm rays on him and he began to feel a deep sense of nervousness. He shook his head. That was just stupid. All he wanted to do was talk to her. That was nothing to get nervous about. He supposed that it was down to her presence that sent the waves of anxiety through him, that she was guarded, very guarded and that she wouldn't let him through those gates she kept closed.

He looked at his watch once more as students began to file past him, most in groups, each of them waving to him with bright smiles. Chiaki gave them all a small smile and wave in response. A group of girls passes him and as soon as he waved back at them, they descended into a fit of giggles, huddling together and quickly casting glances at him before swiftly departing for school. This made Chiaki sigh in disappointment. Girls had a habit of doing silly things like that when he was around. But not Kotoha. She seemed like the only one impervious to his popularity and he was glad for it. She seemed like the type of person to treat you as you were rather then how others perceived you.

Glancing at time, he frowned. It was beginning to get late and if he waited any longer, he would be late for school. He looked down the roads, hoping to see her, but there was no sign of the petite brunette. Maybe she had taken a different route to school? Maybe she was ill? Maybe she was running late? Various questions coursed through his mind in an endless stream, but he refused to leave just in case she appeared.

He let out a groan and threw his head back, looking up at the sky. Where was she? He shook himself off and looked in front of him and a smile appeared on his face instantly. Approaching was an individual girl, her dark hair loose, tumbling across her shoulders in loose curls, her head downcast, looking at the pavement beneath her feet. Chiaki let out a sigh of relief. It was Kotoha.

He took a step forward, ready to make his way over to her, when someone called his name from behind and he froze, letting out a low groan. He turned around to see Takeru and Ryunosuke walking over to him. He groaned again.

"Yo, you waiting for us?" Ryunosuke asked, bounding over and slinging an arm over Chiaki's shoulder.

"Of course," Chiaki lied, trying hard not to show his displeasure. He started walking in the direction of school, not wanting his two friends to see Kotoha behind them and realise that he had in fact been waiting for her. He couldn't deal with the grief they would give him, especially not this early in the morning.

As he walked away, he couldn't help but feel guilty, as if he had let Kotoha down. The feeling made his heart feel heavy and he regretted his decision to lie, but he had no choice. He knew that things could be made very difficult for him and for Kotoha, especially Kotoha and he didn't want that to happen. He could already sense that she had suffered a lot and he didn't want to add to her torment. He would bide his time and get his friends to see that she wasn't the clumsy, idiotic girl they all thought she was.

S-S

Kotoha scuffed her feet across the pavement as she slowly walked to school. She had deliberately left late, hoping that she wouldn't run into Chiaki and have to rebuff his attempts to be friends again. But as she approached the junction where they had met the previous morning, she suddenly felt a wave of nervous excitement overcome her as she heard someone call his name. _Has he been waiting for me?_ She froze at the thought and looked up.

There he was, standing just a few feet away. Had he been waiting for her?! Her eyes grew wide and a hint of a smile flickered on her lips for a brief instant before disappearing as she was who had called his name: his two friends. In an instant, her heart sank and she mentally kicked herself for being so stupid. How could she have thought that he'd be waiting for her? Of course he had been waiting for his friends, it was clear as daylight. What could have possibly possessed her into thinking that he had actually been waiting for her?

She shook herself off. She was left a sense of confusion. Why had she been so excited at the prospect of him waiting for her? Why was there a part of her that had been hoping? She knew better, she was supposed to know better. What had she been thinking?

She watched them leave and sighed with a shake of her head. There was no possible way that he would have been waiting for her, not when he had friends like he had. She started slowly walking. Maybe it had been his persistence yesterday that had confused her? Yes, that was it. That was his game. He was going to try and be friends with her, get her hopes up only to crush them by leaving her. She let out a soft snort. It was the game everyone had played with her; it was their favourite way to torment her. They enjoyed it and now Chiaki was joining in. She wouldn't let that happen. All she had to was keep away from him, from all of them and refuse whatever he would offer her. She knew all the tricks and there was no way she was going to play their mind games. No way.

Arriving at school, she weaved between the milling students, making herself as small as possible. Murmurs of 'Bukkako' followed her but she ignored them, she was used to it after all, though it didn't stop each one from stinging her heart like a scorpion. The murmurs were accompanied by students deliberately jostling and walking into her, hoping that she would stumble and trip, but she managed to stay on her feet, though a couple of times she did stagger into another student and hastily issued them with an apology before she headed towards her classroom.

2A was full of students strolling in and out and Kotoha carefully peered into the room to see whether or not Chiaki was inside yet. She then mentally slapped herself. Why was she looking out for him? She didn't care whether or not he was already there.

She turned and leaned against the wall, next to the class noticeboard that was positioned between the two classroom doors, her head tilted upwards slightly as it rested against the dull white wall. What was the matter with her?

She turned her head, hearing a loud shout of laughter and trembled slightly as she saw Chiaki approaching. She withered and lowered her head, turning to try and enter her classroom, but the stream of students prevented her from doing so and she was pinned in her place. She shrunk back against the wall, trying to make herself as small as possible. Her eyes flickered in Chiaki's direction and she noticed that he was in conversation with the two friends he had met up with earlier. As she looked away, out of the corner of her eye, she saw that taller of his two friends look in her direction, their eyes meeting for the briefest of moments.

After a moment she glanced up once and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that Chiaki and his friends had disappeared. _Probably through the other door,_ she presumed, letting out the breath she hadn't realised she had been holding. She pushed herself away from the wall, turning to go into the room when someone grabbed her shoulder, pushing her back against the wall. Her bag dropped from her other shoulder and landed on the floor with a dull thud.

Eyes wide, she stared in the dark eyes of one of Chiaki's friends, the taller one and she let out a gasp of surprise. She didn't know his name, had no reason to and he towered over her, asserting his power and authority over her, making her feel tiny and meaningless to the world around them.

"Shouldn't you be in class?"

She was startled for a moment with the fact that he was talking to her, but quickly released that he was confronting her. "I… uh… I…" she stammered, her words failing to form. Her eyes flickered downwards.

Ryunosuke sneered at her, his eyes rolling at her patheticness. "You were waiting for _him_, weren't you?" Though he hadn't addressed Chiaki by name, she knew whom he was referring to.

She fiercely shook her head. "No."

He let out a short, unamused laugh. "Don't lie," he spat at her, making her flinch, his hand pushing her shoulder harder against the wall. He leant in close to her. "Do you really think he would want to be friends with someone like you?" he hissed in her ear.

She froze, her heart beating painfully against her chest in panic. She shook her head.

"It's in his nature to be nice," he continued, the venom evident in his voice. "He likes to be friends with everyone, that's who he is, but he doesn't really care about them, so he wouldn't care about you. Why would he? He's one of the most popular guys in this school and you're nothing. You're Bukakko." His whisper was like poison against her skin and it burned her.

This was the exact reason why she wouldn't let Chiaki be friends with her. He had a reputation to maintain; he was the friendly one and was nice to everyone. That's all he was doing with her, being nice, but she wouldn't let it go beyond that. She already knew that, but being pinned against the wall by one of his friends made her certain that she was doing the right thing.

"Keep away from him!"

The order was quick and sharp against her ear and before she had a chance to react, he pulled her forward before pushing her away from him. Her shoulder hit the edge of the noticeboard, making her wince while her palm caught a nail that was hanging loose and she let out a cry of pain as it pierced her skin.

"Oops." Ryunosuke let out a loud laugh, drawing the attention of the people around them. "Looks like Bukkako fell over again."

Kotoha's eyes stung from the pain in her hand and she could hear the loud laughter of the people around her, laughing at her misfortune. She clasped her uninjured hand over her would, feeling the wetness of her blood and winced again. Trying to block out the sounds of laughter, she bent over clutching her hands to her chest, trying to blink the tears away.

"Are you alright?"

Kotoha froze. Was someone talking to her? Were they asking if she was alight? She looked up to see a girl with long dark hair looking at her apprehensively. "What?"

"What happened? Are you alright?"

Kotoha blinked. The girl was actually talking to her, actually asking if she was alright. "I, uh…" She looked down at her injured hand.

The girl followed her gaze. "You need to go to Medical," she said in a firm but friendly voice. "Come on, I'll take you."

Standing up straight, Kotoha looked at the girl who was about a head taller than herself, her long hair fell halfway down her back and she had a kind face, her hazel eyes looking at her warmly. She was dressed in a uniform identical to her own with a matching tie. "Thank you." She bowed to the girl.

The girl gave her a smile in response. "I'll just let Sensei know that we'll be late." She pointed to the classroom. "This is your class too, isn't it?" Kotoha nodded and the girl slid the door open before leaning in. "Hikoma-sensei, I'm taking this girl," she pushed Kotoha in front of her and sniggering and mutterings of 'Bukakko' could be heard, "to medical. She hurt her hand."

Hikoma blinked, startled at the tall girl's bluntness, and looked at the register in his hands, marking off Kotoha, before looking back at the two girls. "And you are?"

"Shiraishi Mako," the girl replied.

Hikoma looked back at the register before nodding as he signed Mako in. He looked up, his mouth open to ask Mako where she had been the previous day but the two had already gone, the door closed.

The hallways were silent and deserted, all of the students in their respective classes. Kotoha glanced up at Mako. She was surprised at the girl's confidence, at how she had spoken to the teacher. She wondered if she had heard the sniggering and name-calling and knew that it was directed at her. But she was still surprised at how friendly and caring she was being. No one had ever asked her if she was alright before. No one. Everyone knew of her nickname and reputation and stayed clear, whether they were concerned or not. The fact that someone had _actually_ checked on her… she couldn't fathom it. She must have some ulterior motive. Like Chiaki, there had to be more going on. Was everyone playing some sick game with her?

"What's your name?"

Mako's voice pulled her out of her dark thoughts and she instantly forgot her increasing weariness of the other girl as she replied. "Hanaori Kotoha."

Mako nodded. "I'm Shiraishi Mako," she said, turning and giving Kotoha a smile. "I wasn't in yesterday because my plane from Hawaii was delayed." She stretched her arms above her head. "I'm still slightly jetlagged."

_Jetlagged? Maybe that's why she's being so nice,_ Kotoha thought, her eyes downcast. _She's tired and isn't thinking things through properly. As soon as she's woken up properly she'll realise who I am and ditch me._

"It's strange being back in school," Mako continued, ignoring her companion's silence. "But at the same time, it feels like I was never away. If I wasn't so tired then I would never have thought I'd been away at all." When Kotoha didn't reply, she looked down at her and frowned. "So, how did you hurt your hand anyway?"

Kotoha looked up. Her hand was stinging but the blood was beginning to dry up. "I, uh, I feel over," she muttered before looking away, her face ashen.

Mako nodded knowingly. "That was silly of you," she said. "But these things happen."

"Yeah," Kotoha muttered under her breath, clenching her wounded hand with a sigh, ignoring the pain.

S-S

Chiaki was growing increasingly impatient. He looked at the clock above the blackboard, the hands moving painfully slowly and let out a groan. He wanted the lesson to hurry up and end so he could go and see if Kotoha was alright. He had been surprised and concerned when the new girl, Mako, had pulled her into the room saying that she had hurt her hand and that she was taking her to Medical. He had almost stood up at that point to go and see her, but the two girls' abrupt departure have prevented him from doing so. The sniggering and mutterings that had surfaced at this moment had him seething with anger. He wanted to tell them all to stop it and to shut up but the teacher had started to tell them to settle down as he began his lesson and all Chiaki could do was sit back and silently seethe.

The two girls had returned halfway through the lesson, Kotoha's hand now bandaged, and had quietly sat themselves down, well almost quietly as Kotoha ended up dropping her bag on the floor which resulted in most of the room descending into laughter. Chiaki frowned as Kotoha blushed a glowing red with embarrassment. Mako, Chiaki noticed, who was sat a couple of seats to left behind Kotoha, didn't laugh and instead looked at her with confusion making him think that she didn't know who Kotoha was. He hoped that this was the case and that the girl could help him show everyone who Kotoha really was.

Finally, after what felt like years rather than minutes, the class finally ended and Chiaki leapt to his feet to go and check on Kotoha, but before he had the chance, Takeru and Ryunosuke appeared, pulling him into a conversation about music. Chiaki only half listened, instead, his focus was on the short girl on the opposite side of the room. He watched as she looked around, a look of unease on her face. Her eyes rested on Mako for a moment and seeing that the other girl was surrounded by most of their female classmates, she got up and quickly left the room. Hastily making an excuse, Chiaki followed her, exiting through the opposite door to Kotoha.

He paused just outside of the door, scanning the stream of students that had descended into the hallway, searching for Kotoha. He soon found her and weaved in-between the students, placing his hand on her shoulder.

Kotoha jumped at the touch, letting out a gasp of surprise as she turned around. Her eyes grew wide with alarm as she came face to face with Chiaki. "T-Tani-san…" she stammered, diverting her eyes away from him. What was he doing? She couldn't be seen talking to him, not after what his friend had said, had done.

"Are you alright?"

The concern in his voice made her look up at him. "I…" She nodded, looking down at her bandaged hand before placing it behind her back. What was she doing? Why was she still standing there talking to him?!

"What happened?"

"I tripped." The lie slipped so easy from her lips.

"Can I have a look?"

She looked up at him, her eyes narrowed. What was he doing? Why was he being so nice? She guessed that either he didn't know that his friend had done this to her and he was just being nice as part of his game, or he did know and felt guilty. She stepped back, away from him, doing what she had to. She had to keep away from him.

As she stepped back, Chiaki looked surprised at her action. The look on her face, she looked as though she was angry with him though he had no idea why.

"Why are you doing this?"

He tilted his head to one side in confusion.

"Why are you being so nice?"

_Is that why she's angry, because I'm being nice?_

"I just want to be your friend," he told her, taking a step forward.

She took another step back, slowly shaking her head. "You can't."

He stopped. "Why?" It didn't make sense to him, why she wouldn't let him be nice to her, why she wouldn't let him be her friend.

"Don't you get it? You can't."

He stared at her. There was a sadness in her voice, hidden by the bitterness, telling him that she wasn't actually angry but was pleading with him.

She slowly shook her head once more before turning and almost running away from him.

Chiaki stared for a moment, before quickly shaking his own head. "Hanaori-san!" he yelled after her, making the students around him turn and look at him and he watched as Kotoha stopped for the briefest of moments before continuing her movements away from him. Watching her leave, Chiaki felt an overwhelming sadness take over him. There was something in her that was calling out and he was determined to help her no matter the cost.


	4. IV: The Determined

_You that shook my heart up so much_

_You know I can't leave_

_Look at me_

_Don't ever let go_

- MBLAQ (_If You Come into my Heart_)

_**Act IV**_

She was breathless, her heart pounding against her chest.

She had stopped running once she had reached the end of the corridor. She had nowhere else to go. She still had class so she couldn't leave or hide.

What was the matter with her? Why was she running away like a silly child?

She brushed herself off, running her hand through her hair, pushing her bangs out of her face and took a breath, leaning against the wall. Lowering her head, she shook it. He had called her Hanaori-san. No one had done that before. Other than the teachers, no one within the school had addressed her as such. It was always Bukkako. But he had actually referred to her by her name. But why?

She closed her eyes. It made no sense to her. Why had he referred to her by her real name? Could he really not see what the others could? And he had come to see if she was alright, why would he do that? Of course that was why she had run from him. The words his friend had said to her were still running though her mind as clear and fresh as water and the impact of his threat evident under the dirty white bandage on her hand.

But for some reason she felt guilty. She felt guilty for running off and leaving him standing alone in the hallway. She shook her head. Why was she feeling guilty? She had no reason to. He was playing a game with her after all. But the fact that he had called her by her name… It was something that was eating away at her. She simply couldn't fathom why he had done so, in a crowded hallway nonetheless. Had he genuinely called out her name in concern or was it all part of his game? She didn't know and while she desperately didn't want to care because, of course, it had to be part of the game he was playing, it was digging deeper into her, consuming her mind. She had to know.

But that meant talking to him, something she couldn't do. If anyone saw her talking to him… She clenched her wounded hand and winced as the raw pain shot through her. The consequences would be worse then what she had already been put through. She let out a small snort. She had already been through worse. The last couple of years of her life had been torment, both her school and home life. She could cope with whatever they threw at her. She was already alone. What else could they possibly do that would hurt her more than she already was?

Her eyes narrowed with determination. She was going to do it. She was going to allow him to talk to her and she was going to listen. But it wasn't going to go any further than that. All she wanted to know was why he was being nice to her. She didn't and wasn't going to be his friend, that much was clear. She didn't care how much he would plead. She wasn't going to allow it. He was playing a game with her, that much was obvious and she wasn't going to fall into it. She wasn't going to fall for that trick again.

The bell rang above her head, signalling the end of break, and she jumped in surprise, looking upwards instinctively, though there was nothing except the dull white-tiled ceiling above her. With a firm nod, she pushed herself away from the wall and walked down the corridor back to her class.

Sliding the door open, she quietly stole into the room, or at least she did until she stumbled when her leg froze up for a moment and she hit her other leg on the corner of her neighbour's desk. The boy let out a snort while the rest of the class laughed. Despite her resolute, she couldn't prevent the blush of embarrassment from gracing her cheeks and she quickly adjusted her hair to cover her face before sitting down at her desk, her head lowered.

Chiaki watched the whole scene unfold with a deep annoyance in his heart. He frowned as the class laughed at Kotoha. _What was the matter with them?_ he thought in frustration. As he looked across at the petite girl, he noticed that the new girl, Mako, also wasn't laughing but was looking at her with concern.

He was about to stand and go and check on Kotoha but the appearance of their teacher prevented him from doing so and he sank down in his seat, his heart heavy. With a sigh, he rested his chin in the palm of his hand and tried to listen to the lesson but he found he couldn't focus as his eyes constantly flickered over to Kotoha who kept her head lowered as she furiously scribbled down notes.

"Tani-san!"

The abrupt shout from the teacher made him jump and he blinked, the face of Hikoma coming into focus. He swallowed. He didn't look happy. "S-sensei?" he stuttered.

"I know that the back of Honami-san's head is quite fascinating, but it has nothing to do with my lesson. Focus!" He slammed his hand on Chiaki's desk and, despite himself, the boy jumped in surprise.

"Y-yes Sir." He couldn't prevent the faint red hue from appearing on his cheeks, but not from the fact that he had been disciplined in front of the class, but more of the fact that he had been caught staring at Kotoha.

The room dissolved into muted laughter, though there were curious mutterings that could be heard.

Kotoha stared, wide-eyed with surprise. He had been staring at her? She watched him for a moment as he laughed sheepishly. He turned his head, catching her eye and her breath hitched as she quickly turned back to face the board, her own cheeks now glowing a faint red. He had caught her looking at him! She inwardly groaned and wanted to disappear into a black pit but, sadly, she couldn't. How could she have let him catch her looking at him? She shook her head. What had she been thinking?! She then remembered the incident with his friend from earlier. She knew what she had to do.

Chiaki couldn't help but allow the flicker of a smile to appear on his lips as he watched her flush with embarrassment at the fact that he had caught her looking at him after he had been caught looking at her. He looked down at his desk, allowing the smile to deepen. There was hope that she would allow him to be her friend after all. Her walls appeared to be slowly slipping and he was determined to break through them. He looked across at Mako, who was writing down notes from the board. Something told him that she was the one that would help him succeed.

From his position in the middle of the classroom, Ryunosuke had noticed the looks between Chiaki and Bukkako, the blushes on their faces that had appeared when they realised they had been caught looking at each other. His face was set with a look of displeasure. Apparently neither of them had heeded his words. He ground his teeth. He knew how stubborn Chiaki could be once he had his mind set on something so knew that it would take a lot of convincing to dissuade him from being friends with Bukkako, but her… he had thought that his threat earlier that morning would have been enough but it seemed to have had no effect. He was going to have to come up with something else.

S-S

With the ringing of the bell, the school day ended and there was a rush of activity as students departed from their classrooms and into the hallways to leave for home. Kotoha lost herself in the sea of students, hoping to put as much distance between herself and Chiaki as she possibly could, but, unbeknownst to her, he had let her go and, instead, approached Mako who was taking her time in putting her belongings in her bag. Both Takeru and Ryunosuke had been about to approach their friend to stop him from going after Bukkako, but, upon seeing that he was walking over to the new girl, they cast confused looks at each other before deciding to wait for him outside.

Ryunosuke relaxed upon seeing his friend approach the new girl rather than go after Bukkako as he feared he would. He willing followed Takeru out of the room hoping that Chiaki had set his sights on the willowy woman rather than clumsy fool.

Chiaki hadn't noticed his two friends. He was focused on talking to Mako and what he was going to say to her. As he walked across the room, he was surprised that, considering she had been surrounded by girls earlier, she was alone. He swallowed heavily, still unsure of what to say exactly.

Mako finished placing her things in her bag and sighed as she swept her long brown hair over her shoulder. She pushed her chair back, hearing it scrape across the floor and slowly stood up. She didn't have anything to rush home for after all.

"Eh, Shiraishi-san?"

"Hmm?" She had heard the approaching footsteps and turned to see whom had addressed her. She tilted her head to one side slightly, casting him a quizzical look.

"I, eh, I was wondering if I could have a word." Chiaki inwardly kicked himself as he stumbled over his words.

"I believe you are right now," Mako replied with a small, amused smile.

"Eh, yeah. Right." Chiaki flushed with embarrassment.

Mako gave a small laugh in response. "What can I help you with?" she asked politely, seeing that she had thrown the boy off what he was going to say. "Umm…" She realised that she didn't know his name.

"Tani. Tani Chiaki," he replied.

"Ah, the boy who got caught staring at the back of Hanaori-san's head." She nodded her head once as her smile widened.

"Uh, yeah."

Mako nodded. "What can I do for you?" she asked once more, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"It's about Hanaori-san," he began, looking away nervously from her, the corner of her desk suddenly very interesting.

"What about her?"

"I, uh, I want to be her friend and I, um, think you can help me." What was the matter with him? Why did he keep stuttering like an idiot?

Mako let out a short laugh. "I'm not stopping you."

Chiaki shook his head. She was new, of course she didn't know. He swallowed as he slowly looked at the tall girl. She was slightly shorter than him but she had a powerful stature and he felt small beneath her gaze. Slowly, he told her what little he knew about Kotoha, about how she always seemed to be alone and about how she pushed away his efforts to be friends with her.

Mako listened intently. She too had noticed the shorter girl appeared to be isolated and alone. She remembered how no one had helped after she had fallen, no one asking if she was alright, how the students had instead laughed at her. She didn't like to see people alone like that. She knew the feeling all too well. Looking at Chiaki, she could clearly see that he was concerned for her, that he was honest in his desperation to be friends with her, but, if she was right, she knew exactly why Kotoha was rejecting him and she understood the other girl's feelings. She, of course, knew nothing of Kotoha other than her name but at the same time, she knew how she was feeling. No one should have to feel like that.

After he had finished explaining, there was a silence between the two and he thought she was going to laugh at him and tell him that if she didn't want to be his friend, then he should just leave her. She was Bukkako after all. He was surprised, however, when Mako slowly nodded and for the briefest of moments, he thought he saw the glimmer of a tear, but she blinked and it disappeared.

"Okay," Mako said in a small voice. "She seems like a nice girl."

Chiaki smiled widely in response. "Thank you." He bowed to her and she laughed, hitting him lightly on the shoulder with her hand.

"Go away before I change my mind," she ordered to him, pointing at the door though she was still smiling at his reaction.

He nodded firmly, the grin still plastered to his face. He adjusted his bag on his shoulder. "Thank you," he said once more before leaving the room, leaving her behind.

The instant he was out of sight, Mako's smile faltered into a sad one and she let out a sigh, running her fingers through her hair. She knew how Kotoha was feeling, what she was going through. She just hoped the two of them could save her from it all.

S-S

Outside in the hallway, Takeru and Ryunosuke had been straining their ears, trying to find out what Chiaki and Mako were talking about. The two doors into the classroom had been closed, one by another student, the other by Takeru and Ryunosuke wanted to hit him across the back of his head because of his idiocy, but knew better then to actually do so.

"What are they talking about?" Ryunosuke moaned, pressing his ear as firmly against the wood as he possibly could.

"For the hundredth time, I don't know." Takeru frowned at the other boy, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "Maybe he's asking her out."

Ryunosuke snorted. "I doubt it." He moved back slightly. "What did you have to close the door for?"

Takeru shrugged his shoulders and Ryunosuke let out an exasperated cry, throwing his arms out in frustration. He made to place his ear against the door once more when it opened and he leapt back in surprise.

"Gah!" he cried, holding his hands were his heart was.

Chiaki also jumped, not expecting to see his friend stood there. "What are you doing?"

"Waiting for you. What does it look like?" Ryunosuke replied with a frown.

"Sorry, but I had to talk to someone," Chiaki told them, beginning to walk down the hall.

"About what?" Takeru pushed himself away from the wall and followed the shorter male, Ryunosuke behind them, rubbing the area where his heart was. He was curious as to why he would want to talk to Mako, though he wasn't as obvious as the third member of their group.

"I just wanted to ask her something." Chiaki was determined to remain cryptic. He knew how they felt about Kotoha and didn't want them to know that he remained undeterred.

"About what? We haven't had any homework," Ryunosuke said, catching up with them.

Chiaki shrugged his shoulders. "She's new. Just wanted to make sure she was fitting in alright."

Takeru and Ryunosuke glanced at each other, not completely convinced with the younger's response, though his explanation seemed reasonable. Takeru then shrugged his shoulders. It was clear that Chiaki wasn't going to tell what he really talked to Mako about and it would be pointless to try and convince him since he could be incredibly stubborn. Ryunosuke gave a nod of agreement and the two followed Chiaki out of the school.

As he walked, ignoring his two friends, Chiaki felt a sense of relief. He could tell that Kotoha would continue to thwart his attempts at friendship, but he seriously hoped that Mako would help him to change her mind. Mako was a girl after all, so, maybe, Kotoha would open more to someone of the same gender. Plus, Mako had already helped her, had taken her to the infirmary when she had hurt her hand. A frown appeared on his face. He wondered how she had done that. She wouldn't tell him, but her secrecy towards it made him wonder if it hadn't been an accident. His eyebrows furrowed at the thought. He hoped not, but if he found out that someone had hurt on purpose… he shook his head. Words couldn't describe what he would do to them. But if they had, then that would explain her reluctance both in telling him what happened and to be friends. Was she afraid that he would hurt her?

"Oi Chiaki!"

The sound of Takeru's voice pulled him out of his musings and he turned to see his two friends standing a few metres away. His eyes widened as he realised they were at the junction that would lead them on the separate paths to their homes – Ryunosuke and Takeru (who lived down the same street) would go one way while Chiaki would go another.

"Ah sorry!" he shouted back to them.

Ryunosuke rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah," he replied though he smiled back at the shorter male. "Just try and keep your head straight tomorrow," he added in reference to the incident during their afternoon lesson.

Chiaki chuckled in response. "I'll try," he joked, waving at them.

Ryunosuke's face dropped and he was about to retort back when Takeru, yelling a farewell to Chiaki, pushed him in the direction of their homes.

"What are you doing?" he snapped as he was dragged down the street.

"Stopping you from doing something you'll regret," Takeru muttered in response.

Once Chiaki was out of sight, Ryunosuke arched his arm, forcing Takeru to step back. "I don't know what you're on about."

"Don't lie to me, Ryunosuke. I know you too well."

The slightly shorter male frowned in response, turning his head away.

"Look, just let him be, alright?"

Ryunosuke snapped his head back around. "You know what he's trying to do. We can't let him."

"Why? Because of who she is?" Takeru's dark eyes narrowed.

"Exactly. He _likes_ Bukkako for God's sake!" Ryunosuke all but cried.

"We don't know that," Takeru reasoned. "He spoke to Shiraishi-san as well. That doesn't mean he likes her as well."

"Come on. We've been back at school for two days and all he does is try and talk to her. Doesn't that tell you something?" He folded his arms against his chest.

Takeru shrugged. He honestly had no idea what Chiaki's sudden interest in Bukkako was. She was a dull, clumsily, lonely girl. There was nothing appealing about her. Shiraishi-san on the other hand… she appeared to be the complete opposite; attractive, popular. Chiaki's interest in her made more sense than his in Bukkako. But, despite all of that, he knew that Chiaki couldn't be dissuaded. He was too stubborn and hot-headed and couldn't see past his goal. He knew Chiaki didn't really care about his status within the school, not like him and Ryunosuke but maybe, maybe they could use that. A sudden strike of inspiration hit him and he turned to his companion with a wide smile.

Ryunosuke looked uneasy at the expression on Takeru's face. It was rare for him to smile and usually when he did, it meant he something amazing planned, but the expression still unnerved him. "What?" he asked unsteadily.

"Instead of fighting with Chiaki about this, why don't we help him?"

The shorter male blinked. Was he hearing right? "Are you crazy?" he hissed in response.

Takeru shook his head. "Think about it. We help Bukkako become popular and we get seen not only as the most popular boys in school but also as helping those lower than us. People will look up to us even more. I mean we helped Bukkako after all."

Ryunosuke didn't look convinced. "Maybe you're right, but we'd be associating with Bukkako! That'll make us a laughing stock."

"Not if we did it right."

"What do you mean?"

If possible, Takeru's smile widened. He hadn't had a plan like this is so long and the sudden inspiration had jolted though him like electric, exciting him to his very core. "You'll see."


	5. V: The Start

_I'll do whatever it takes_

_To turn this around_

_I know what's at stake_

-Lifehouse (_Whatever It Takes_)

_**Act V**_

Absentmindedly strumming a chord on his guitar, Chiaki looked out of his window. There was a red hue mingling with the light blue of the sky, indicating the approaching evening. Strumming another chord, he leant back in his chair, his head tilted up towards the ceiling. Closing his eyes, he let his mind wander back to the school day, back to Kotoha. He didn't know why, but his thoughts always seemed to drift to her more and more. He hated seeing her so alone and really hoped that Mako would help him help her.

A knock on his door made him up, almost dropping his guitar in surprise. He turned around as the door slowly slid open, revealing his father, his dark hair a mess and the blue apron he wore covered in flour signalling that the elder Tani had been cooking. He gave his son a lop-sided smile.

"You been practicing?"

Chiaki looked down at the guitar before looking at his father. "Not really," he replied. He looked back down.

Seeing the distracted stance from his son, Tani Kurando walked across the room, sitting on the edge of Chiaki's bed. He reached out and gently placed his hand on his shoulder. "What's going on?"

Chiaki honestly had no idea. He was beginning to lose his focus a lot and he didn't know why. He knew he was thinking about Kotoha more and more, about how he could help her but it couldn't possibly be distracting him this much, could it?

"It's a tough year for you," Kurando continued. "You've got a lot on your mind what with exams and university." He looked down at the guitar. "Maybe you need a distraction from your distraction."

Chiaki looked up. "What?" His father was talking nonsense again.

He took the guitar from Chiaki's hands. "I mean this. Why don't you join the music club," he suggested. "It'll take your mind off whatever it is you keep thinking about."

The younger Tani thought for a moment. He had always wanted to be in the music club, he loved his guitar and playing it but school had always stopped him. His studies were more important if he wanted to go to a good university. But, also, there were memories of his mother. He could remember how she had played the guitar, the one that he had inherited, when he was a young child and he knew that from what his father had told him, she had also been in the music club when she had been at school. He was scared to follow in her footsteps.

"What about school?" he eventually asked.

Kurando looked at him. "The music club doesn't meet every day, does it? You'll work yourself too hard and having a couple of hours to do something you enjoy won't hurt will it."

"I guess not."

Kurando smiled. "Good. If it does get too much, you can always drop out."

Chiaki smiled in response to that. They both knew he would never drop out of something he had agreed to do. He would always find a way to make it work.

"She would have been proud of you, you know," Kurando then said, looking across at a picture on Chiaki's bed side table. The simple oak frame held a picture of three people, a younger looking Kurando was stood on the left side, a happy smile on his face while in the middle was Chiaki as a baby who was being held by a woman with long ash brown hair and she too wore a look of pure happiness.

"Yeah, she would," Chiaki muttered sadly. He could barely remember his mother, but he knew that she had been happy and caring, not just towards her family but to everyone she met.

His father nodded and let out a sigh. "Just follow your heart," he said to his son. "That's all any of us ask."

Chiaki didn't reply. Follow his heart? But he didn't know what his heart was telling him. All he could feel was his heart pulling him towards Kotoha. Follow his heart. Did that mean he shouldn't back down, not that he would anyway? No, it was telling him more than that. He always wondered why he had been drawn to her so suddenly and now he was beginning to understand why. His heart was pulling him, like destiny, his mother would have said.

Clapping his hand on his son's shoulder a couple of times, Kurando stood up, placing the guitar on the bed. "Dinner will be ready soon," he told him and Chiaki could hear his voice trip as he spoke.

Chiaki nodded, turning away to look out of the window. His father hated discussing her almost as much as he did. The memories were still too painful for both of them. He didn't hear his father leave as he became lost in his thoughts, wondering what life would have been like if his mother had still been around. He found his thoughts drifting back to Kotoha, wondering what her life was like. Did she feel as alone as he did outside of school? Even in school he felt alone, no one understanding him but he was surrounded by people, people who clung on for their reputation more than anything else. Apart from Takeru, Ryunosuke and his father he felt as if he actually didn't have anyone in his life. He wondered if she was the same, that for her it was more then not having anyone within school, but outside as well.

He didn't want her to feel as alone as he did, not anymore.

S-S

Leaning against the window ledge, Chiaki seriously hoped that Mako would be early for school even though she had been late the previous day. He had barely been able to sleep the entire night, which had resulted in him arriving at school early. It was so early that most of the teachers had yet to arrive and he had barely seen anyone on his walk.

As he looked across at the sensory garden, Chiaki tried to think up of a plan in order to get Kotoha to trust them but she was so guarded that he knew it wouldn't be easy to get her to lower her defences and let them in. He sighed, his breath misting the glass for a brief moment before disappearing; all of his plans would be futile. He hoped that Mako had remembered that she had agreed to help him and might have even come up with a plan on her own.

He was startled, his eyes widening, when he heard one of the doors slide open and footsteps enter the room, clicking against the wooden floor. He hadn't expected anyone else to be in this early. Slowly turning around, his eyes widened once more as his eyes rested on Kotoha who was standing stunned at the front of the room wearing a look identical to his own.

"Eh, hello," he began tentatively, clearing his throat. She was the last person he had expected to see and her presence had thrown him.

She bowed slightly to him before diverting her eyes as she made her way to her desk, her leg hitting the edge of it, making her stumble. She winced from the impact and was surprised when she felt a hand on her arm. She hadn't even heard him move.

"Are you alright?"

Straightening up, she turned to look at him, a look of bewilderment covering her face. He hadn't laughed. She had tripped and he hadn't laughed at her, why? But also, what was he doing here this early? No one was ever here this early.

"Are you alright?" he asked once more.

She shook her head, her dark curls flying across her face. What was he doing here? They couldn't be seen together. She couldn't be seen talking to him. Catching the concerned look in his eyes and realising that she still hadn't answered his question, she slowly nodded.

Chiaki loosened his grip but didn't completely let go of her as he nodded in response. Instead, his face broke into a smile. "I'm glad."

She turned her head, looking up at him once more, her expression stony. She just couldn't figure him out. What was his deal? Was he actually being nice or was it all part of a game he was playing? She just couldn't tell.

"How's your hand?" he asked, ignoring her look, as he indicated to her other hand which still had a bandage wrapped around it.

_Again, still trying to make conversation. _Her eyes followed his hand and she instinctively moved it behind her back, out of his line of sight. _Why is he being so caring?_ "It's fine," she muttered.

"Ah, she has a voice!" he cried happily. "I was beginning to think you weren't talking to me."

Her head snapped around and her eyes narrowed as she glared at him. She couldn't talk to him, didn't he get that? But then, she had just spoken to him. What was the matter with her? If she kept responding to him then she was just going to keep encouraging him and then… the bandaged wrist clenched behind her back, what if his friends found out?

"I'm not," she replied matter-of-factly, a hint of bitterness in her voice. She needed to drive him away. She just couldn't understand his interest in her, his constant desire to be her friend. No one had ever shown such interest in her before, not without some ulterior motive. There had to be something behind this. One of the most popular boys in school suddenly talking to her? _Yes_, she firmly told herself, _there is something going on_. She wasn't going to allow herself to fall for the tricks anymore and she knew all too well the consequences of even looking at him.

Chiaki's smile faltered slightly at her tone. She really was guarded, refusing to accept his kindness towards her. He seriously hoped Mako would be able to help her to open up and understand that there were people who genuinely wanted to be friends with her.

There was a bustle of activity outside of the classroom, alerting them to the presence of their fellow students as they both jumped at the increasingly louder buzzing sound. As the students began to arrive, their classmates froze in the doorway, surprised to see one of the most popular boys in school alone with the social outcast.

"Woooo!" their classmates chorused, looks of glee on their faces, some of them making kissing noises, as they noticed that Chiaki had hold of Kotoha's wrist.

Chiaki quickly let go of Kotoha, who fell into her seat and quickly shook his hands at them. "It's not what it looks like," he quickly said, a faint blush of embarrassment crossing his face as he stepped away from her.

Turning to face the front of the classroom, Kotoha lowered her head so she couldn't see the amused looks on her classmates' faces. She felt a pit of disappointment fill her at Chiaki's reaction to them being caught alone and in close proximity to each other. Though it confirmed her suspicions that he was just playing with her, rather than feel satisfied that she was doing the right thing, she felt strangely let down. But why? Deep down, had she actually expected him to be different? Had she actually thought that he was being genuine? She closed her eyes tightly for a brief moment. Had her heart betrayed her thoughts and begin to let her accept him? How could she have been so misguided?

It wasn't until the class had begun to settle down that Chiaki realised the mistake he had made. He slumped into his chair as the realisation hit him, what he had said, how he had acted. "Crap," he muttered to himself, annoyed as he hit his forehead with the palm of his hand. Rather than getting her to open up, he had probably gone and done to complete opposite and got her to close up completely, which would make his and Mako's job even harder now. But he had been surprised by the sudden intrusion and acted out of instinct. Across the room, he saw that Kotoha had her eyes fixed on the board as Hikoma-sensei took the register. He sighed. He was going to have a lot of apologising to do.

He looked around the room, noting that both Takeru and Ryunosuke, who had arrived together, hadn't spoken to him yet and he let out another sigh. It looked like he was going to have to apologise to them too. He hated being on bad terms with them, they had been friends for years and hated it when they fell out but even though he knew he wasn't in the wrong, he knew he would have to be the one to fix it. Takeru and Ryunosuke were just too proud.

However, during the break between their classes, he was surprised to see his two friends approach him. He had been about to go and apologise to Kotoha for earlier but was stopped when his two friends came over to his desk. For a moment, he thought that they were going to berate him again for wanting to get to know Kotoha, but instead, both Takeru and Ryunosuke bowed to him, taking him aback, his eyes widening with surprise. This wasn't what he had expected.

"We're sorry," Takeru quickly blurted out as if the words burned his tongue. "We should have been more supportive."

Ryunosuke nodded in agreement. "We didn't realise how much it meant to you. We'll help you get Hanaori-san to be your friend."

If possible, Chiaki's eyes grew wider. Ryunosuke had actually referred to her by her name. He had never expected that, then again, he had never expected them to apologise to him either.

"Don't make us say it again," Takeru groaned, straightening up, a grimace on his face.

Chiaki smiled and nodded. "Surprised you guys actually apologised," he laughed, leaning back in his seat.

"Yeah well, it is sort of our fault," Takeru muttered in response.

"Yeah, plus Takeru wanted to be the bigger man and get in before you did," Ryunosuke added with a laugh which resulted in Takeru glaring at him.

Chiaki let out another laugh. "Well I'm glad you did and, thanks. I'm glad that you'll help me now."

"We were just trying to protect you," Ryunosuke explained, sitting down at the desk in front of Chiaki, but sitting so that he was facing the shorter male. "We have a reputation and she just doesn't fit in. But," he quickly added as Chiaki's eyes narrowed with annoyance, "we were talking and realised we don't really know any of the girls, well apart from the ones we've dated and even then…" He shook his head as if a disgusting thought had crossed his mind. "You're right, she seems nice and you like her, so…"

Takeru shook his head. "Too long," he chastised, interrupting. "Your friend is our friend."

Chiaki's frowned flipped, turning into a smile. "Thanks, guys," he replied. He looked across at Kotoha who was still sat at her desk though Mako was crouched down in front of her. _I hope she gets through to her,_ he thought, noting that he would have to apologise to her later.

S-S

"So, what do you think of Tani-san?"

Kotoha jumped at the voice and looked up to see the tall girl who had helped her the previous day standing next to her desk, her blazer sleeves rolled up past her elbows and her skirt a couple of inches shorter than regulations, long hair falling halfway down her back. Shiraishi-san if she remembered correctly. "Huh?"

Mako frowned. "Well, that's a bit rude," she commented before crouching down, Kotoha's eyes following her. "I said, what do you think of Tani-san?"

"He seems alright, why?"

Mako smiled. "Well you two did seem pretty close earlier."

Kotoha's eyes widened in shock, a red hue crossing her face and she fiercely shook her head. "No. I tripped. He was helping me."

"You seem to trip a lot," Mako replied, still smiling.

Kotoha's blush deepened. "I know," she muttered, turning away.

The taller girl rolled her eyes. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about," she said. "I can't cook but you don't see me getting all upset about it."

Kotoha's head snapped around, her dark curls flying. "I am not upset!" she hissed defensively.

Mako held up her hands. "Really? Well, you seem upset about something."

"I'm not" she replied, her voicing calming down. "I-I'm sorry I snapped like that I didn't mean it."

"I know." She leaned up slightly so that she rested her arms on Kotoha's desk.

"It's just, no one's ever really spoken to me before, not properly anyway and then he does it, not once but several times and now you're talking to me too." What was she doing? She was telling a random stranger all of this? What were the chances she was working with Chiaki to try and trick her? More than likely seeing as both of them were suddenly talking to her. She wasn't going to let either of them in. No way.

Mako nodded knowingly. "I get that," she replied somewhat distantly. She then shook her head lightly. "You've never really had friends, have you?"

"I-uh-I…" She looked away. That was exactly it. She had never had friends, not proper ones anyway. Everyone had left her. They always left. People she had trusted had turned out to be fake, had betrayed her and had left her all alone. Alone, that was all she knew.

"I know what its like," Mako told her quietly. "I know what it's like to be alone."

Kotoha stared. _How could she know what it's like? She's smart, pretty and has made friends straight away. How could she know?_

"I've never told anyone this," Mako said, as if reading the shorter girl's thoughts, "I don't even know why I'm telling you, but I feel that I should." She shook her head, clearing her throat. "I was brought up by my grandmother," she said, her voice still quiet and she had a distant look in her eyes, "and I got teased because of it. No one wanted to be friends with someone who didn't have parents. I was young and I was lonely. No one here knows that I live with my grandmother, but I'm sure that as soon as they find out I won't be of interest anymore, so yeah, I know how you're feeling."

Kotoha felt her eyes brim with tears. "I'm sorry, I had no idea." She felt her heart soften towards the other girl. The way she had spoken and the look in her eyes told her that she was telling the truth. She knew all too well when people were lying. She had seen them do it enough times now to be able to tell. But Mako, there was an honesty in her voice and Kotoha felt that she could trust her words.

The other girl shook her head. "You didn't know. No one does, not yet any way." She then smiled. "So, what do you say, how about letting me and Tani-san get to know you a bit better?"

There it was. She was working with him. "Why?" Her defences were back up in a flash. Could Mako have literally just lied to her?

"Oh, this isn't some big conspiracy," Mako laughed, once again correctly reading Kotoha's mind. "I know what it's like to alone and he seems to really like you, so why not let us?"

She continued to frown. "I don't trust people."

Mako let out a sigh. "Okay, I told you a big secret about myself, so what if he told you one about him? Would that help?"

She thought for a moment. Would it? If he was willing to divulge one of his secrets to her, then surely that would mean that he trusted her? She bit her lower lip as she thought about it. Of course it wouldn't change anything, she still didn't trust him, or Mako for that matter, but it would be the start, wouldn't it? Him trusting her with a secret would begin to build the foundations of trust for her. "Okay," she muttered.

Mako smiled.

S-S

It wasn't until lunchtime that Mako was able to approach Chiaki, pulling him out into the corridor amid shouts and kissing noises making Chiaki blush while Mako looked determinedly forward. She was used to childish behaviour and preferred to ignore it, though she did notice that, unlike before with Kotoha, Chiaki hadn't furiously denied that anything was going on. _Either he realised his mistake earlier or he hopes something is going to happen,_ she thought to herself a smile crossing her face at the idiocy of the idea.

"Here's the thing," she said, letting go of his wrist and turning to face him, "I've spoken to Hanaori-san and persuaded her to let you be her friend."

"Thank you," Chiaki replied gratefully, surprised at how fast she had accomplished her task.

She held up her hand, stopping him from continuing. "But here's the thing, she has to trust you and at the moment, she doesn't." She looked directly into his eyes. "What are you willing to do?"

"What?" The question had surprised him.

"What are you willing to do to get Hanaori-san to trust you?"

_What kind of question is that?_ "I'll do whatever it takes," he told her firmly. "If I have to earn her trust then I'll do whatever she wants."

Mako cocked her head to one side, the corners of her lips turning upwards slightly. "Anything?"

He nodded. It was true. He knew all along that he would have to earn her friendship; she was too guarded to let people in so easily, so of course he had been expecting something like this. "What does she want me to do?"

"Tell her a secret. Something no one else knows," Mako informed him. "It'll show that you trust her. Plus she'll have something to hold over you, just in case," she added with a laugh.

"I just have to tell her a secret?" His voice betrayed his uncertainty at having to reveal such a thing.

Mako nodded, picking up on his tone. "See it more as an olive branch."

He nodded. He had so much going on that no one else knew about. Was he really willing to risk it all for the sake of a girl he barely knew? He swallowed and thought about what his father had said: _"Follow your heart"_. Though his head felt reluctant and unsure as to whether or not to tell her something private, his heart told him that she was worth it. He didn't know what to do. Should he follow his heart of his head? But his father's words hung in his mind. No, he was determined to take the risk. He could see something in her that was akin to himself, something was calling, pulling him to her and he wasn't to let anything tear him away. He was going to do this.

"Tani-san?" Mako's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. She had been watching him and could sense that inside he was debating as to whether or not to do it. She knew Kotoha was asking a lot, but her secret had slipped easily from her lips and she hoped that if Chiaki was determined enough, the same would happen.

"I'll do it," he told her and instantly felt as if a weight had been lifted. It was just… what was he going to tell her?


	6. VI: The Secret

Sorry for the delay with this chapter, but, well, life...

* * *

_I would take a whisper _

_if that's all you had to give_

_But it isn't, isn't_

_You can come and save me_

_Try to chase the crazy_

_right out of my head_

– Jason Walker (_Echo_)

_**Act VI**_

Kotoha bit her lower lip, nervousness coursing through her veins. She had no stomach to eat, butterflies replacing her hunger, fluttering in her stomach as if desperate to escape. The source of her discomfort was evident as every now and then her eyes would flicker towards the closed door; knowing that on the other side Mako and Chiaki were currently talking about her.

She swallowed heavily. The mutterings that had followed them out of the room were still ringing in her ears as loud and clear as a bell and the blush that had appeared on Chiaki's cheeks as Mako had pulled him out of the class was still visible in her mind. She felt a pang on her heart as she remembered how, when he had been caught alone with her earlier that day, he had been quick to refute their comments, but with Mako… She didn't know why but it niggled at her. Was she not good enough or pretty enough to be seen with him? Of course she wasn't pretty, not unlike Mako with her tall, willowy figure and long, sleek hair, clothes that fitted perfectly, popular, whereas she wasn't anything like that. No, she was a social outcast who was short with untameable hair, a round face and clothes that were a size to large. How could she ever compete against someone like Mako? The two of them were more suited. But still, the image of the two of them together irked her for some reason.

She shook her head. What was she thinking? Why was she thinking like that? Why would she think that there was something between them? But it was more than that. Why did the thought of the two of them being together annoy her so much? She shook her head once more. She didn't want to think about that.

Her almond-shaped eyes darted back towards the still closed door. What was taking them so long?

A loud thumping sound on her desk startled her and she jumped, pushing herself away from her desk, almost hitting the desk behind her. Catching her breath, she looked up to see Chiaki's two friends standing in front of her, the darker-haired one with his hands on her desk, telling her that he was one that had slammed his hands against her desk. She swallowed as the colour drained from her face and the cut on her hand throbbed as a reminder of what had happened the last time she had encountered them. But then she had been alone. There was no way they would do anything in the classroom… right? The butterflies in her stomach fluttered like crazy.

Neither Takeru nor Ryunosuke spoke. The two just stared at her.

"I… I… I'm sorry about this morning…" she apologised, her voice barely a whisper. That could be the only reason why they were there. They had threatened her if they ever caught her with Chiaki again. She quickly cast her eyes away.

Takeru looked over his shoulder at Ryunosuke and laughed before turning back to the girl. "That's not why we're here."

Despite her fear, she couldn't stop her curiosity from peaking, but she instantly quelled it. If they weren't here to punish her, then they must have some other form of torture and humiliation to implement on her. Her eyes flittered around, looking for any signs of help or escape but there weren't any. She was trapped.

Seeing the fear in her eyes, Takeru let out another laugh and leaned closer to her. "Don't worry, it's something nice."

"Yeah, you'll like it," Ryunosuke added, a smirk on his lips.

Takeru quickly turned around, casting his friend a look that told him to be quiet. They were supposed to try and convince her to go along with them, not to drive her away and for that, he needed Ryunosuke to not utter a word. "Look we don't like you, you don't like us, but we both have something in common: Chiaki."

Was he kidding? He was saying that they had something nice planned for her but then he went and said that they don't like each other? Who was he fooling? She resisted the urge to roll her eyes knowing the possible implications of that action.

Continuing, Takeru let out a sigh. "But Chiaki likes you, so we'd thought we'd help him by helping you."

She slowly turned her head, her curiosity winning. Had she heard correctly? They were going to help her and Chiaki become friends? Why would they do that? No, there had to be some ulterior motive.

Takeru ignored the expression on her face. "Once Chiaki has his mind set on something, it's near impossible to divert him," he explained, "so, rather than convince him that being your friend is one of the stupidest things he's done, we've decided to embrace the idea." He took his hands off of the desk. "But we have an image to uphold. An image you don't fit into, so we've decided that we'll help Chiaki by giving you a more… appealing appearance."

She frowned. She wasn't going to change for anyone. Was he actually serious?

"Not convinced, huh?" Takeru folded his arms against his chest. "Think about it. By making you look more appealing, you'll be more accepted. Isn't that what you want? People will forget how clumsy you really are. They'll look at you differently. You won't be the stubby, inept girl. You won't be a nobody. You'll be someone who catches the eye of whomever you walk past and they'll want to know who are. You'll be known for your looks rather than your clumsiness. You'll finally have a name."

She paused. She'd finally have a name. She would be seen differently. For too long she had been Bukkako, the clumsy idiot. If she took them up on their offer then she might finally be somebody. She could be like Mako and be looked upon and inspired by others because of her appearance, rather than avoided in case they caught her clumsiness.

Takeru looked over at Ryunosuke and smiled widely. They had her.

The classroom door slid open as the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. Chiaki and Mako re-entered the room, still in discussion, oblivious to the two males stood at Kotoha's desk.

Takeru leant across the desk and hissed to Kotoha, "Think about it." He and Ryunosuke then headed back to their respective desks before Chiaki had a chance to notice.

Smiling, Mako left Chiaki and walked over to Kotoha. "It's done," she informed her with a bright smile. "He'll tell you a secret."

She nodded, barely listening. Takeru's offer was still coursing through her mind. It was so tempting.

S-S

The end of school came quickly. The afternoon had been uneventful, but as she packed her belongings into her bag, a bout of nervousness overcame Kotoha, filling her with butterflies as she felt her body flush, a wave of warmth swimming over her as her anxiety increased. Her heart began to beat wildly as she thought about what was going to happen. Chiaki was going to tell her something important, something no one else knew. She was going to be in close proximity to him and it was this, more than anything, that made her heart flutter.

She realised that she was picking away her belongings too quickly and began to slow down, carefully placing each item individually into her bag. What was the point in rushing?

She looked around the room, most of the student having already disappeared. She bit her lip as she watched Chiaki wave his two friends away and she almost flinched, casting her eyes away as Takeru met her gaze, his offer flitting back into her mind. As she looked back up, once he and Ryunosuke had disappeared, she realised that Mako was also stalling in her movements, deliberately taking her time in sorting out her own belongings. She wondered if the new girl was going to be partaking in the conversation she and Chiaki were about to have or if there was another reason.

Her wonderings were soon answered when, as soon as they were the only three left in the class, Mako quickly shoved the remainder of her things into her bag, swinging it over her shoulder.

"See you two tomorrow," she called to them with a wave and bright smile. "Bye Chiaki, bye Kotoha." She glided out of the room, leaving a stunned Chiaki and Kotoha in her wake.

Kotoha blinked. Had she just referred to her by her given name? That was so… so… so _informal_ of her. Only Mitsuba called her by her name, but she was her sister.

She was so stunned, her gaze, unseeing, focused on the door the taller girl had left through, that she didn't realise that Chiaki had approached her.

"Uh, Hanaori-san…" He scratched the back of his head nervously.

She jumped at the sound of his voice, quickly turning around to face him, her hair whipping across her face at the sudden movement.

"Ah, sorry," he quickly apologised, a slight blush creeping across his face. He hadn't meant to startle her.

She quickly shook her head, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear, a blush crossing her own face. "It's alright." She looked up at him, studying his features. The sign of his blush of embarrassment was still visible as it slowly faded, tinting his lightly tanned skinned with a faint pink hue. Her eyes flickered upwards, resting on his own brown orbs. She pursed her lips upon seeing the nervousness in them. She stared, her own eyes softening and rounding as she found herself becoming lost in his gaze, wondering what secrets could be lurking behind those eyes, what deep secret he was going to tell her. She suddenly blinked, realising what she was doing and quickly her eyes looked down, her shoes suddenly more appealing. What was she doing? Getting lost in his gaze? That was such a childish thing to do. She felt another blush mar her cheeks at her stupidity.

"Uh, Shiraishi-san said I should talk to you," he eventually said, his voice low even though they were alone. He hadn't missed the way she had stared into his eyes as if searching for something, it unnerved him slightly.

She nodded, her fingers suddenly fidgeting.

Chiaki let out a sigh and sat on the edge of her desk. He directed his gaze away from her, instead focusing on the scenery on the other side of the window. A gentle breeze was making the leaves of the tree outside flutter. He was silent for a few moments and Kotoha was beginning to feel increasingly nervous, worried that he might change his mind. She couldn't bring herself to look at him as he told her that she wasn't worth the time or the effort.

"You know you're asking a lot," he eventually said, his voice monotone as he continued to stare of the window.

Despite herself, her eyes flickered upwards, startled. He did think she wasn't worth it. She had asked too much, hadn't she. She was asking him to give up one of his deepest secrets and get nothing in return all because she found it difficult to trust people. And what was she supposed to do with the secret? Hold it over him? Use it as blackmail to make him like her? That wasn't the type of person she was. It was too much for her to ask of him to tell her something so private. "I'm so–" she began, but he cut her off.

"But you're worth it," he said, turning back to face her, a smile adorning his lips.

She blinked, taken aback by this. He thought she was worth it?! He was actually going to tell her!

He swivelled his body round so that he was facing her completely. "I want to make this work," he told her. "You're a nice person and you don't deserve to be alone, especially in a place like this. I'll do whatever it takes and if this is what you want," he took a breath, "then no matter how hard it is, I'll do it. I know what it's like to be alone and I think doing this, what I'm about to tell you, will be worth it."

She blinked again, her eyebrows knitting together as she thought over what he said. He knew what it was like to be alone? But he was one of the most popular boys in school. How could he know?

Seeing her expression, he suddenly let out a laugh, but it wasn't a humorous one. "Trust me, I know what it's like to be alone," he told her. "Just because I'm surrounded by people doesn't mean that I'm not alone. They don't know me. They don't know what I've been though – hell even Takeru and Ryunosuke barely do." He looked at her. "Haven't you ever heard the phrase about being alone in a sea of people? Well that's me."

She bowed her head. "I'm sorry." She felt her cheeks flush.

He frowned. "It's alright. I'm not surprised you would think like that. How could one of the most popular boys know what it's like to be alone, right?" He let out a snort. "Hell, even I would think the same as you."

She slowly lifted her head. Of course it was stupid of her to think that there weren't others who felt alone. Everyone had their problems, their issues and it had been naïve of her to think that just because he was surrounded by people, that he wasn't going through the same thing. "I'm sorry," she said once more. "I didn't th–"

He shook his head, stopping her. "Forget it. That's not why we're here." His eyes focused once more on the scenery outside.

She nodded. Of course she hadn't forgotten. She looked up at him, studying how his eyes were focused on whatever was on the other side of the window, his pursed lips, the deep breaths he was taking. It was if he was readying himself for whatever it was he was going to tell her. She could tell that this was going to be difficult for him. She took a breath. "It's alright," she softly told him. "I'm not in a rush so take as long as you like."

He nodded. "It's just hard to find the right words," he said, still focusing on the leaves of the tree, gently swaying with the breeze. "I've never told anyone this before and normally I wouldn't, but you…" he paused and swallowed heavily before continuing. "I just feel like I can trust you." He let out a short laugh. "Strange, huh, considering we barely know each other but ever since that day I accidently bumped into you, I've felt drawn to you. It was almost as if I could see me inside of you, the same loneliness except you really were all alone whereas I was surrounded by people. I decided then that I didn't want you to suffer. No one deserves to be alone. I wanted to reach and help you."

She blinked, taken aback by his admission. He really was doing all of this for her. It wasn't some trick or game he was playing. He really did care and here she was asking for him to pour out one of his deepest secrets to her, for what? To prove his dedication? But his admission had just proved that. She was the one playing games now. "You don't have to tell me," she said, her voice heavy with guilt.

He shook his head. "I want to," he replied with a grim smile. "I don't have anyone to talk to apart from my father. I think it'll be good for me to get this out in the open. I need to do this."

She nodded slowly, leaning against the desk behind her. "Okay."

He took a breath, keeping his eyes focused on the leaves. He wasn't going to look at her, not until he had finished. He didn't want to see the sympathy that would consume her brown orbs as he told her his story. _Here goes_. "When I was five," he began, "my mother died and it was my fault."

Kotoha blinked in surprise. His mother had died and he was to blame? She opened her mouth to say something, what, she didn't know, but quickly closed it again. She wouldn't interrupt him.

"I was walking home with my parents, we had just been to the park, they'd taken me on the swings, they were my favourite." He blinked hard as the memory came rushing back. "They had brought me a new ball, it was small and green, my favourite colour. We were walking down the road back to our house, the road was quiet even though it was early in the evening. I was bouncing my ball as we walked, my parents were just ahead of me. I was pretty good, my reflexes. I never missed catching it. But then I bounced it too hard and it hit the edge of a mound of grass and it bounced away at an angle." He paused. His vision blurred slightly, the tree he was fixated on looking like a watercolour painting, the colours mixing together.

Kotoha remained silent, though she could feel her heart beating with tension as she felt her blood drain. She knew what was coming.

"The ball rolled into the road. There wasn't any traffic and my parents were too far ahead. I went to go and get it. It was my new ball and I didn't want my parents to be upset that I had already lost it. I didn't see the bus coming towards me but my parents did. They rushed back. My fingers were almost touching the ball when I was suddenly thrust out of reach. I remember flying though the air and landing on the pavement. My dad was calling my name and then there was a loud screech and a thud, a crack. It was deafening. My dad was calling my name anymore. He was calling my mother's." He felt his voice crack as his vision became watery. It was a sound he would never forget.

Kotoha's own watery eyes flickered downwards, her mouth open slightly with shock.

With a slight cough, Chiaki cleared his throat. He had to continue. "I found out later from my dad that they had been listening to the sound of the ball to make sure that I was alright and when the sound ceased, they turned around to see me in the road, reaching for my ball. They then saw the bus approaching and ran to get me. My mother was faster, she reached me first and threw me out of the way but she wasn't fast enough and the bus… it hit her and my mother, she… she died." He sighed heavily, blinking away the tears even though a few had fallen. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

Kotoha rubbed the skin under her eyes with her fingers, removing the dampness that had formed.

"My dad, he never blamed me. Said it was an accident, but if I hadn't lost my ball then she wouldn't have… she wouldn't have…" His voice trailed off. He couldn't finish his sentence.

"Tani-san…" She gently reached up and placed a hand on his shoulder, her tears flowing freely. She knew exactly how he felt.

Chiaki lowered his head so she wouldn't see his tears. It was the first time someone outside of his family had been told and while it felt like a relief to have finally told someone, he felt guilty for laying the burden of knowing on her. But he was grateful for the comforting hand she had placed on his shoulder, it let him know that she was there for him. He jumped slightly when he felt her place her head on his shoulder, replacing her hand, and she leant into the crook of his neck. He didn't know why, but he found that gesture more comforting then her gentle hand. He hadn't felt affection like what he was experiencing in a very long time. Not since his mother's funeral. His father had tried, but there was only so much a manly clasp of the shoulder or brief hug could do, but this, this felt different. It was exactly what he needed and he was glad that it was her giving him this feeling, this tenderness.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice soft against the fabric of his shirt. She had surprised herself when she had placed her head on his shoulder, but it had felt like the right thing to do. She had realised the intimacy of the gesture as soon as she had done it, but she couldn't move away in case she hurt his feelings, but she couldn't deny that leaning into him and their closeness felt right, almost natural, and she liked that feeling.

He didn't respond. He had opened up for the first time in a very long time and she had listened, that was all that mattered. He could feel an increasing wet patch form on his shoulder and knew that she too was crying. He had no idea that she knew exactly how he felt, that she had experienced something similar. He didn't care about the wetness. All that mattered was that she was there with him, holding in a way he had wanted someone to in a very long time.

Blinking, the tears on her skin drying, Kotoha realised that things between them had completely changed. She had never expected him to reveal such a painful secret to her. He had put so much faith and trust in her in order to tell her. She needed to do something for him. In time, she felt as if she could the same, reveal a haunting memory to him but she didn't have the courage. But she now knew how much this friendship would mean to him. Chiaki had opened up to her and she needed to repay that by doing something for him. She swallowed. It didn't seem right for him to be seen with an outcast with untamed hair, oversized clothes and an imperfect complexion. He deserved better than that and she knew what she had to do.

She had to take Takeru up on his offer.


End file.
